From a shaky start as a 12-year-old Cuban refugee, Manuel Justiz eventually became dean of the College of Education at the University of Texas, Austin. An "educational maverick," Justiz insists on working closely with the Texas business community, local schools, the governor's business council, and various UT colleges. (MLH)

Teachers must learn to discriminate between caring and toxic brands of lounge conversation (summarized in a table). The way that beginning teachers praise, accept, ignore, or refute comments is critical in developing their roles within the school setting. Their enthusiasm can help students and jaded colleagues. (MLH)

Two University of Missouri researchers say much econometric research on the money/achievement connection is deeply flawed. Data from the "School District Data Book" and Second International Mathematics Study show that money's impact is enormous. In other research, principals' high expectations are pivotal, and children's drawings are instructive.…

A federal district court reinstated a competent volleyball coach when her Utah district reassigned her after discovering her gayness. The case seems a clear-cut lesson for school officials. Closer examination reveals the line drawn (between private behavior and public expression) that administrators and judges face when addressing homosexuality.…

Too many researchers have built careers on the quantitative/qualitative research debate. Social scientists have largely abandoned their responsibility for popular education, focusing primarily on schooling's limitations, rather than its potential for furthering social progress. Standard-setting is highly politicized; research is becoming too…

Debunks notion that someone can teach for nine months and then start learning in a two-week summer institute. Describes a Seattle project that is demolishing teaching/learning barriers by allowing English and history teachers to meet monthly for an entire day to read and discuss literary and historical works and plan an interdisciplinary…

State-supported teacher networks like the California Subject Matter Projects and the Vermont Portfolio Networks can be a useful alternative to conventional inservice training programs. Networks are cost-effective and connect teachers with resources, provide ongoing support, and expand teachers' leadership opportunities. A mix of constructed and…

Every school must have the power and responsibility to select and design its own particulars. Unfortunately, the existing system is not designed to support "oddball" entities. Small, self-governing schools of choice could flourish in an exemplary, accountable manner, if we built the system for them and changed our mindsets about the relationships…

Meier is no bleeding-heart liberal who oversimplifies difficulties involved in creating classrooms and schools reflective of productive learning contexts. Larger system of school governance is inimical to creating such contexts. In his book "How Schools Might Be Governed and Why" (Teacher's College Press, 1997), author argues that the present…

In New York City, a $25 million Annenberg grant was targeted to 100 individual schools to empower their staffs via innovative networks and accountability structures. However, the changes that graced the proposals did not create the desired momentum. Targeting school-level groups cannot in itself lead to systemwide change. Problems arose from…

Recent release of "Prospects," a national evaluation of Chapter 1/Title I ($7.2 billion federal program for disadvantaged elementary-school students), has questioned effectiveness of entire program. However, 1994 Title I reauthorization allows high-poverty schools to turn their dollars into markedly better achievement by adopting replicable…

The author began his education career committed to curriculum, not measurement. After years of using teacher-made and standardized tests as instructional afterthoughts, he recognized the superiority of criterion-referenced testing and the influence of high-stakes testing on instruction. He then became involved with developing such tests on a…

Concerned about maintaining schooling quality in a tight-money climate, parents and others are turning to local education foundations for needed dollars, equipment, and services. Although large philanthropic foundations have contributed significantly to public education since the 1950s, locally funded and operated education foundations have…

Real-world problems often do not mesh well with mandated curricula and texts. Designing challenges to develop the understandings, skills, and beliefs necessary for tackling real-life problems involves a commitment to authentic learning experiences of increasing sophistication. The experiential learning cycle, by combining academic, scenario, and…

Richard Sterling, executive director of nation's largest inservice training project, discusses his plans to enlarge the scope of the National Writing Project and place it at center of school reform. With 160 sites in 45 states and Puerto Rico, this 25-year-old project brings together expert teachers for extended summer training. Teachers…